Well, I got out today to get a few things done. First on the list was to sight in my 22-250 with its new mark 4 6.5-20x50 M5 FF. And in the process accomplished two firsts....first up after bore sighting I was relatively close with the first shot. I measured the distance it was off using the TMR reticle and it was 2 mils left and .6 mils high, so I made those adjustments to the scope and the next round was dead center in the bullseye! That was first number 1, sighting in a rifle with only 2 rounds. First number 2 was about to happen next. I decided to shoot another to make sure it was where it was supposed to be...and it went into the same hole...so then it was game on, shot #3 cut the hole to the right and shot #4 cut that hole, giving me the best group I've ever shot to date. Edge to edge was .4955"-.224=.2715"!
I forgot to grab a big enough piece of cardboard to do a proper box test on the scope, but I did shoot one, bullseye, then twisted the elevation turret up several turns then back down, shot, bullets were touching, turned the windage turret left and right several turns and then back to zero and shot another and got another .5" cloverleaf group like the one above. So far I'm very impressed with this scope! Now for the bad news....first up, I was using some old hand loads for sighting in that were loaded with 52gr Berger varmint bullets that I shot these 2 groups with.....and I can't find the load data for them and they easily shot the best I've ever seen from this rifle today! :evil:
Next up was testing out some loads using hodgdon CFE 223 and the 40gr Varmageddon. Velocity was better than advertised, but accuracy was disappointing. First up was 42 grains.
42.5 grains
43 grains which is the book max. I did not have any pressure signs.
I think I'll do some playing with this powder using some 52gr match bullets and see if I can get some good accuracy and a boost in velocity over some of my other loads.
Next up was testing the Berger 250gr OTM's from my 338LM. This testing was disappointing all the way around. I had loaded some up with 89 grains of H4831SC which according to the Sierra manual was a grain below max and should have yielded about 2950fps. Mine were averaging 2811fps and accuracy was the worst I'd ever seen in this rifle to date. I was lucky to hold a group under 2.5 inches....this was the best group I had with them.
These were loaded to magazine length which put them .09 off the lands. I think I'll try loading some out closer to the lands and shoot them single shot and see if I can find some accuracy somewhere. Probably try a different powder combo too as the velocity was a bit anemic from what I'm looking for.
The good news is that I'm in love with my new scope both performance wise and from what I saw optically it's as good as anything I've looked through, which isn't as long as a list as many of you here, but none the less, I was impressed. And any day I get to go shoot is a good day!
Also, after being frustrated by the Bergers and havin one round left I swung over to a steel target at 270 yards, fully knowing that it would likely leave a pretty nasty dent in it, but I needed to vent some frustration in away that only ringing steel could cure....
Turns out .5" steel isn't enough to stop this round at 270 yards......
I forgot to grab a big enough piece of cardboard to do a proper box test on the scope, but I did shoot one, bullseye, then twisted the elevation turret up several turns then back down, shot, bullets were touching, turned the windage turret left and right several turns and then back to zero and shot another and got another .5" cloverleaf group like the one above. So far I'm very impressed with this scope! Now for the bad news....first up, I was using some old hand loads for sighting in that were loaded with 52gr Berger varmint bullets that I shot these 2 groups with.....and I can't find the load data for them and they easily shot the best I've ever seen from this rifle today! :evil:
Next up was testing out some loads using hodgdon CFE 223 and the 40gr Varmageddon. Velocity was better than advertised, but accuracy was disappointing. First up was 42 grains.
42.5 grains
43 grains which is the book max. I did not have any pressure signs.
I think I'll do some playing with this powder using some 52gr match bullets and see if I can get some good accuracy and a boost in velocity over some of my other loads.
Next up was testing the Berger 250gr OTM's from my 338LM. This testing was disappointing all the way around. I had loaded some up with 89 grains of H4831SC which according to the Sierra manual was a grain below max and should have yielded about 2950fps. Mine were averaging 2811fps and accuracy was the worst I'd ever seen in this rifle to date. I was lucky to hold a group under 2.5 inches....this was the best group I had with them.
These were loaded to magazine length which put them .09 off the lands. I think I'll try loading some out closer to the lands and shoot them single shot and see if I can find some accuracy somewhere. Probably try a different powder combo too as the velocity was a bit anemic from what I'm looking for.
The good news is that I'm in love with my new scope both performance wise and from what I saw optically it's as good as anything I've looked through, which isn't as long as a list as many of you here, but none the less, I was impressed. And any day I get to go shoot is a good day!
Also, after being frustrated by the Bergers and havin one round left I swung over to a steel target at 270 yards, fully knowing that it would likely leave a pretty nasty dent in it, but I needed to vent some frustration in away that only ringing steel could cure....
Turns out .5" steel isn't enough to stop this round at 270 yards......
